Towing and brake-applying connection for vehicle-trailers.



e: A. 51 J. BOLAS. I TOWING AND BRAKE APPLYING CONNECTION FOR VEHICLETRAILERS.

Patented Feb 18,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVEVTOR I 7" v Geowe A.B a Q WITNESSES 1 a g n wm ATTORTEY G. A. &J.-F.BOLAS TOWING AND BRAKE APPLYING CONNECTION FOR VEHICLE TRAILERS";

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gmmmu u T INVEwTOR ATTORTEY GEORGE A. BOLAS, or ROSALIE, nnnnesnaniqntor-In F. Bones, or roar RILEY,

TOWING AND 'nnexn-nrrnyriveoonmiorron non VEHICLE-TRAILERS.

Specification ofltetters Patent. '7 P t t e 13,1919,

application filed mammae, 1917. sa s No. 204,436.

. To all whom it may bonoem Be itknown thatwe, GEORGE A. Bones and JOHNF. BoLAs, citizens of the United States, residing at Rosalie and FortRiley,

respectively, in the counties of Thurstonand Gearyand States of Nebraskaand Kansas,

have invented certain new and useful I m provements in Towing andBrake-Applying Connections for Vehicle-Trailers, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an improved tow- I ing device for connecting atrailer with an automobile or other .vehicle and the princi pal objectof the invention is to-provide 1mproved means for connecting the trailbr with the vehicle so that the trailer will accurately follow thevehicleand to further so construct this connection that the brakes maybe applied to the trailer when the automobile or main vehicle is broughtto a stop and the brakes released when the automobile is again startedforwardly.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this connection thattheapplication of the brakes will be automatic, movement of the trailertoward the main vehicle or automobile causing thebrake's'to be appliedand movement of the vehicle from the trailer causing the brakes to bereleased.

This invention is illustrated in the ac-.

companying drawings, wherein.:

Figure 1 1s a plan view of the improved connection, portions of theautomobile and trailer being shown,

Fig. 2 isa iew of the connectlon andja portion of the automobile andtrailer, the

inside elevation sectional .view

- through one of the sliding bearingsv forming 1 part of the invention.

This towing device is used for connecting the trailer 10 with:theautomobile '11, the

casing 15. The wheels are provided with the brake hubs 16 about whichextend the brake bands 17 ,the inner ends of which will be ,engaged bythe anchors 18 mounted upon the axle casing The brake rod 19, the endsof which are connected with the brake bands 17 is suspended beneath thetrailer by means --of the hangers 20 and is rovided with an extension orlever 21 leading forwardly and connected with the arm 22 of the rockershaft 23. It will thus be seen that when the rocker shaft is rotated inits bearing 24, to move the arm '22 forwardly, the draw bar 21 will bedrawn forwardly and the brake rod or yoke 19 thus moved to draw thebrake bands about the brake drums 16 and apply the brakes.

A shaft 25-is mounted in bearings 26 carried by the automobile andcarries abutment collars 27 adjustably-held thereon through the mediumof set screws28. This rod also carries bearing brackets 29 slidablymounted and providedwith bearing balls 30 as 32 rigidly mounted upon therocker shaft 23. As these arms 32 are rigidly mounted, it will bereadily seen that when the automobile slows or comes to a stop and thetrailer moves forwardlyunder the impulse of its momentum, the arms 32will move to rotate the shaft 23 thus drawing upon the draw bar 435 21and as previously explained ca'u ing the brakes to be applied; When theau omobile moves forwardly, the arms 32will'be swung forwardly and thelever arm 22 will be swung rearwardly thus moving the bar 21 to release'the brakes. This. will cause the brakes to be automatically appliedwhen the automobile stops and willat the same time cause the brakes tobe released when the automobile again, starts and will further preventany danger of the brakes being ap-' plied when not desired. Thisconstruction would be especially useful when traveling over roadshavinga number of hills, as the brakes would'be automatically applied whengoing down a hill thusvpreventing the trailer from following too closeupon the automobile. By having the bearings 29 slidably mounted upon therod or shaft 25, these bearings may move lnwardly and outwardly when thetrailer moves toward or away from the automobile. This sliding and thepivotal connection between the rod 31 and the bearings 29 furtherassistsin keeping the trailer position behind the automobilewhentraveling along a road or when making a turn as the rod can have theproper movcment.

We have thus rovideda towing structure so constructed that a trailer maybe drawn behind an automobile and kept in the proper position andfurther so constructed that the brakes may be released or applied to thetrailer wheels when necessary without any attention whatever of thedriver of the automobile. What is claimed is 1. A towing vehicle, atrailer having a .body, an axle casing, an axle in the casing, brakehubs upon the axle, and supporting wheels upon th axle, anchors mountedupon the axle casing, hanger brackets connected with the body, a rockershaft connected with,

the body, a yoke carried by the hanger brackets, brake bands connectedwith the anchors and with the yoke, a draw bar extending from the yoke,an arm extending from the rocker shaft and pivotally connected with thedraw bar, a shaft connected with the towing vehicle, lever armsextending from therocker shaft, bearings slidably mounted upon the shaftof the towing vehicle, and connectingbars pivotally connected eeaeoewith the sliding bearings and extending in cross relation and pivotallyconnected with the lever arm's.

The combination of a towing vehicle, a trailer, alrock shaft mountedupon the forward end of the trailer,, cross connecting rods slidably andpivotally secured at their rear ends to the towing vehicle, the oppositeends of said rods being pivotally secured to said rock shaft to impartrotary movement thereto.

3. The combination of a towing vehicle, a'

shaft mounted on the rear end thereof, a

- GEORGE A. BOLAS.

JOHN F. BOLAS.

NVitnesses K J. M. SHULENBERGER,

J. GERALD MACLEIGH.

